Automatic railway-switch lock and keeper



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

AND KEEPER.

(No Model.)

E. S. BATCHELOR. AUToMATlG RAILWAY SWITCH LOOK Patented Dec. 9, 1890.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. S. BATCHELOR. AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH LOCK ANI) KEEPER.

f NiEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDlVIN S. ATCIIELOR, OF IVIIIKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY-SWITCH LOCK AND KEEPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NCL/142,282, dated December 9, 1890.

Applatml filed September 18, 1890. Serial No. 3651340. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN S. BAroHELoE, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVilkinsburg, county of Allegheny, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered a certainnew and useful Automatic Railway- Switch Loek and Keeper, of which the 'following is a specification.

The objects of my invention, generally stated, are to construct a combined lock and p keeper for a railway-switch lever, so that the latter cannot be pnt down into full safety position without being locked; also, to embody the above construction in simple mechanism which is not liable to get out of repair and which shall be proof against ordinary tamperm In the aecoi'npanying drawings my invention is shown as applied to a ground-switch lever; but by modifications im mediately apparent to a skilled mechanic it can be adapted to other styles of levers.

In the two sheets, Figure l is a vertical seetion on the line A B of Fig. 3, showing in full lines the lock closed and in dotted lines the lock partially opened. Fig. 2 is a front elevation on line C D, with the base in section and the flap of bellcrank or the keeper removed. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the lock, showing in dotted line the switch-handle broken oft at either end. Fig. i is a rear elevation of my invention. Fig. 5 is partly an elevation and partly a longitudinal section of the-key. Fig. 6 is the front end View of the key. Fig. 7 is a central longitudinal section of key-case and spindle with shell of lockease broken away and dog and spindle in elevation. Fig. 8 is a front elevation of keycase, showing end of spindle. Fig. 9 is a plan view of a tie with my device spiked thereto, locking handle of 4ground-switch lever.

In the various views, l. is a metal base having at one end thereot` two uprights 2 2 and at the other end a hollow lock-oase 3, preferably of the general contour seen in the drawings, and which for convenience in cast-ing is made in a separate piece and riveted to the base 1. Between the uprights 2 2 is pivoted a bell-crank lever having short arm 5 and long arm G. The relative positions of these arms may, however, be readily interchanged in a modified construction.

On the outer end of said long arm 6 is a iiap or keeper 7, the form of which is seen in Fig. l. The long arm G of said bell-crank has two lugs S 8, one on each side thereof, to engage the top of the uprights 2 2 when said long arm is thrown back to about ninety degrees.

As clearly shown in Figs. l and 2, the lockease has an opening in its face to neatly fit and receive the keeper 7. A shaft 9 is pivoted in the shell of the lockcase and near the top thereof, and secured to said shaft by a pin 27 is a dog lO. Said shaft i) projects as a spindle 22 into a key-case 1l, (best seen in Fig. 7,) said key-casebeing cast upon the side of the lock-ease Said spindle has two opposite longitudinal grooves 12 12, and is rounded at its outer end. On the inside of the lock-ease 3, and near to its outer end, are set two opposite pins 13 13.

Il is a key, which has a longitudinal open.- ing 2S to lit around spindle 22. This opening also has lengthwise ribs or wards 23 23 opposite t0 each lother to fit grooves l2 l2 on the spindle. On its outer surface the key has two lengthwise grooves 25 25 on opposite sides to traek-pins 13 13. The key has also a circumferential groove 2G, in which the pins 13 13 engage as the key is turned. 2l is a transverse hole in said key at the inner end of the above-described longitudinal opening to permit dirt, snow, and like obstructions to fall out.

In operation my combined lock and keeper is secured to a tie 16 by spikes through holes 17 17 in the base thereof and in such a p0sition that the arms of the bell-crank lever will be at right angles to switch-lever I9. Then the switch is to be locked, the arms of the bell-crank are thrown back until the lugs on the arm G strike the uprights 2 2. This leaves the short arm 5 standing out at right angles to the uprights and in the path ol the handle 18 of switch-lever. Then said handle is thrown down into safety position, it strikes the short arm 5, throwing down long arm (5, which pushes against pivoted dog l0 and swings said dog out of its normal position into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. When the long arm G dropsupon shoulder 2O of lock-case 3, the dog 10 is free to return by gravity to its normal position, (shown in full lines in Fig. 1,) where it efiectually locks the ICO arm G. Simultaneously with the fall of the arm b' the keeper or flap 7 has dropped into its socket in the lock-case 3, and all illegitimate access to said loek-caseis now prevented. The switch-lever is noW so conned that it cannot be moved to a sufficient amount to aft'ect the switch. By inserting the key, however, the parts can be thrown back and the lever released.

The pins 13 13 in thekeycase act as guides for the thrust of the key and tend to prevent successful tampering with said ease with Wires, the. By changing position of pins 1 3 13 and position of corresponding grooves on exterior of key many different keys and spindles may be obtained without altering the other parts of the structure.

Evidently entirely different forms of keys and cases maybe used with my invention from any here shown. The key-case maybe omitted; butitis useful to prot-ect the spindle from injury and makes it more diftioultto pick the lock. The lugs on the arm 6 maybe dropped; but the bell-crank Would then have to be held up by handor some other means.

I claim- 1. The combination of a base-piece, a lockcase with an openingin the face thereof, supported upon said base, a dog pivoted in said lock-case, a bell-'crank pivoted to an upward extension from said base, one arm of which bell-crank when raised will be in the path of a switch-lever as the latter is thrown into `safety position, the second arm of which bellcrank lever will swing the pivoted dog clear of the path ot' said last arm, and then be secured by said dog, a keeper upon the outer end of said last arm, adapted to drop into the openingin the face of thelock-case, and means for moving said dog to release said bell-crank lever, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a base-piece,a lockease With an openingin the face thereof, supported upon said base, a dog,` pivoted in said lock-case, a bell-crank lever pivoted to an upward extension trom said base, one arm of which bell-erank when raised will be in the path of a switch-lever as the latter is thrown into safety position, the second arm of which bell-crank lever will swing the pivoted dog clear of the path oi' said last arm, and then be secured by said dog,a keeper upon the outer end of said last arm, adapted to drop into the opening in the tace of the lock-case, a spindle projecting from the side face of the dogl and longitudinally grooved, a key-case having one or more pins set therein on the outer end of said spindle, a key with ribs corresponding to the grooves of said spindle,and grooves on said key to form tracks for said pins, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

EDVIN S. BATCH FILOR.

Witnesses:

CHAs. M. J oHNs'roN, WM. L. PIERCE. 

